1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sample analyzer, a sample information processing apparatus, and a sample analysis method for performing measurement and analysis of samples.
2. Disclosure of Related Art
In sample analysis, there are cases where measurement and analysis are performed on the same sample a plurality of times. In such cases, measurement items may be different or the same in each measurement and analysis.
For example, in a test of a urine sample, a qualitative measurement and a sediment measurement are often performed. A urine qualitative measurement is a measurement method for obtaining a negative/positive result for each measurement item, based on the color of a reaction test piece for the measurement item when a test strip having the test piece attached thereto is immersed in a subject urine specimen. A urinary sediment measurement is a measurement method for classifying and counting formed elements in a subject urine specimen. Urine analyzers for automatizing such urine tests are known (For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/072321 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,851,487). In these cases, for example, a urinary sediment measurement is performed, based on a urine qualitative measurement result. Other than this, there may be a case where after a urine qualitative measurement has been performed, a urine qualitative measurement is performed again, or a case where after a urinary sediment measurement has been performed, a urinary sediment measurement is performed again.
Further, in analysis of a blood sample, there are cases where retesting of the same sample is performed under a predetermined condition. In such a case, retesting is performed for the same measurement items as those at the time of the initial test, or retesting is performed for high spec measurement items different from the measurement items at the time of the initial test. In addition to this, in analysis of a blood sample, there are cases where measurement and analysis are performed for each of biochemical measurement items and immunological measurement items.
In a case where measurement and analysis are performed on the same sample a plurality of times, a time difference will exist between measurements. In general, the longer this time difference is, the less reliable a measurement result obtained in a later measurement becomes. For example, after a urine qualitative measurement was performed, if a temporary trouble has occurred in the apparatus for the urinary sediment measurement, or if it has become necessary to replace a reagent, a urinary sediment measurement is performed after a long time period has elapsed since the urine qualitative measurement was performed. In such a case, there is a risk of bacteria having increased in the urine sample, and thus, the reliability of the urinary sediment measurement result is reduced.